In an electric stapler for successively striking staples, which are charged into a magazine, by driving a driver with a motor, the following cartridge type electric stapler is well known. In order to make it easy to charge staples into the magazine, a staple cartridge which accommodates a large number of staples is attached to the magazine of the electric stapler, and the staples in the staple cartridge are successively stricken by the driver so that binding can be accomplished by the staples.
The staple cartridge includes: an accommodating portion for accommodating a large number of staples; and a striking passage for striking a staple at the head of the staples toward sheets of paper to be bound. This striking passage is formed between the front wall of the accommodating portion and the face plate attached to the front end portion of the magazine. The staple cartridge further includes: a cartridge body composing the above accommodating portion for accommodating the large number of staples; the large number of staples accommodated in the accommodating portion; a leaf spring for pushing the staples to one side of the accommodating portion; and a cover member for closing the opening of the accommodating portion.
A forming plate reciprocated by the motor and a driver, both provided on the stapler body side, enter the striking passage of the staple cartridge, and form the staples facing the striking passage into a C-shape, and strike the staples. And then, leg portions of the staple penetrating sheets of paper are bent by a clincher.
However, in the stapler described above, the thickness of sheets of paper to be bound is restricted by the size of staple to be used. Therefore, the following problems may be sometimes caused. In the case of sheets of paper, the thickness of which is larger than the restricted thickness, it is impossible for the leg portions of the staple, which has been stricken out from the striking passage by the driver, to penetrate the sheets of paper to be bound. Therefore, the stricken staple is buckled and jammed in the striking passage. When this problem is caused, in order to remove the jammed staple from the striking passage, it is necessary to move or turn the face plate so that the striking passage can be released. In the conventional cartridge, since the face plate is pivotally attached to the forward end portion of the staple cartridge, when the face plate is turned to remove the jammed staple with a finger, the finger may be contacted with an end portion of the staple and may be injured. Further, in the above conventional structure, it is necessary to provide a fulcrum shaft for supporting the face plate, and it is also necessary to provide a mechanism for holding this fulcrum shaft. Therefore, the structure of the conventional cartridge is complicated. This type staple cartridge is designed so that the staple cartridge is discarded after the staples accommodated in the cartridge have been consumed. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the cartridge having the above complicated structure is raised.
Furthermore, in the electric stapler in which the above cartridge is used, after the staples in the staple cartridge have been consumed, the staple cartridge itself is replaced so as to supply the staples. Therefore, the staple cartridge is made of inexpensive plastics of low manufacturing cost, and after the staples have been consumed, the staple cartridge is discarded. However, in the accommodating portion of the staple cartridge, a sheet-shaped spring piece made of metal for pushing the staples is accommodated together with the staples. Accordingly, when the staple cartridge is discarded, it is necessary to classify the spring piece made of metal and discard or recycle it. However, in the conventional staple cartridge, the staple accommodating portion is fixed and integrated with the cover. Therefore, in order to pick up the spring piece accommodated inside the staple cartridge, it is necessary to break the staple cartridge, which requires a tool. This work to pick up the spring piece is complicated and dangerous. For the above reasons, the spring piece accommodated inside the staple cartridge is not classified to be recovered or discarded. Accordingly, it is impossible for the conventional staple cartridge to use resources effectively and contribute to the prevention of environmental destruction in the case of discarding the used staple cartridge.